How does acupuncture work?
Acupuncture works by assisting the body’s innate intelligence to heal itself. Qi (pronounced “chee”) or energy flows through the body in well-defined pathways called meridians. Acupuncture points are considered areas of less resistance and therefore the energy or qi of the body is easily accessible at these points. If this flow of qi is excessive, deficient or blocked, pain and illness can be the result. Once the causes and origins of the energetic disharmony are identified, needles are inserted at specific points and the qi is stimulated. This results in the restoration of energetic harmony in the body and symptoms are then eliminated.
Modern Western medicine cannot explain how acupuncture works. Traditional acupuncture is based on ancient Chinese theories of the flow of Qi (Energy) and Xue (Blood) through distinct meridians or pathways that cover the body somewhat like the nerves and blood vessels do. According to ancient theory, acupuncture allows Qi to flow to areas where it is deficient and away from areas where it is excess. In this way, acupuncture regulates and restores the harmonious energetic balance of the body. In Chinese there is a saying, “There is no pain if there is free flow; if there is pain, there is no free flow.
Oriental medicine is based on an energetic model rather than the bio-chemical model of Western medicine. The ancient Chinese recognized a vital energy behind all life forms and life processes. They called this energy Qi (pronounced “chee”). In developing an understanding of the prevention and curing of disease, these healing practitioners discovered that this energy flows along specific pathways called “meridians”. Each pathway is associated with a particular physiological system and internal organ. The theory is that when a deficiency or imbalance of energy occurs in the meridians and their associated physiological systems, disease arises. The ancients mapped these meridians and identified acupuncture points that have predictable effects upon the vital energy passing through them. By measuring the electrical charges at these points, modern scientists have validated the theories of the ancients. To make a diagnosis and design a plan of treatment, practitioners of traditional Oriental m
Most everything that happens in your body is occurring because neurons are conducting electrical signals between the brain and every cell in you body. Your body is magnificent at keeping itself alive and functioning. However, due to hazards such as physical trauma, poor diet, emotional duress, chronic stress, or toxic chemicals, our bodies are not always able to fully self correct. They sometimes need help! The Chinese have long recognized that energy in the body tends to follow specific pathways or “meridians”. These meridians are really no more complicated than what we in the West recognize as a higher concentration of nerve impulses and blood flow. When the body is not functioning properly it is usually because the energy in these meridians is either flowing too much or too little. By inserting hair thin filaments into key points on the body, we encourage the body to re-establish its normal, healthy flow of energy. Symptoms then begin to disappear.
Acupuncture is a therapy that uses natural laws and energetics with the application of needles and pressure to specific points on the body. Acupuncture is based on the belief that health is determined by a balanced flow of qi (also referred to as chi), the vital life energy present in all living organisms. According to acupuncture theory, qi circulates in the body along twelve major energy pathways, called meridians, each linked to specific internal organs and organ systems.
